A 120-Meter Tunnel to the Oil Pipeline
Crossing Beneath the Gyeongbu Expressway
Court: "Organized and Dangerous Crime... Significant Harm to Society"
A man in his 40s who dug a 120-meter-long tunnel underground across the Gyeongbu Expressway to steal diesel from an oil pipeline has been sentenced to prison again on appeal.
On October 8, Yonhap News Agency, citing the legal community, reported that the Criminal Division 1 of the Suwon High Court (Presiding Judge Shin Hyunil) dismissed the appeal of Mr. A, who was indicted on charges including violation of the Oil Pipeline Safety Management Act, aggravated theft, and aggravated obstruction of official duties. The court upheld the original sentence of three years and six months in prison.
The court stated, "The factors for sentencing claimed by the defendant were already fully considered in the original trial," and added, "There have been no changes in circumstances that would affect the sentence since the verdict." The court further noted, "The defendant gained substantial financial benefit from the crime but made no effort to compensate for the damages," concluding that the original judgment was not unjust.
Mr. A, after receiving a proposal that "there is a way to make a lot of money," planned the theft of oil pipelines in the Anseong area of Gyeonggi Province together with Mr. B and five others from February to October 2023. From February to July of that year, they used shovels, pickaxes, and electric drills to dig a vertical shaft 9 meters deep and a tunnel 120 meters long (1 meter high and 1 meter wide) to reach the oil pipeline. Part of the tunnel was found to have passed beneath the Gyeongbu Expressway.
They then installed an oil theft device and siphoned off about 21,000 liters of diesel, worth approximately 35 million won, over seven occasions from late September to mid-October of that year. Mr. A was responsible for purchasing excavation equipment and digging the tunnel himself, while his accomplices took on roles such as keeping watch or operating the valves.
After the crime, Mr. A was also charged with obstructing official duties after he, while being pursued by the police, reversed his vehicle and rammed a police car in Daejeon last October in an attempt to evade arrest.
The court of first instance stated, "The theft of petroleum is a serious crime that can cause explosions, fires, and environmental pollution, resulting in significant social harm," and added, "The damages suffered by Korea Oil Pipeline Corporation have not been recovered, and the victim is petitioning for a severe punishment," explaining the reasons for sentencing.
Three accomplices who were tried alongside Mr. A were each sentenced to two years and six months in prison with a four-year suspended sentence, or one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence, with their sentences finalized in the first trial.
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